Michigan Republican Rogers Calls for Immediate End to US-Canada Tariff War, Breaking Again With Trump

Full report

Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers on Oct. 7 posted a campaign ad on X calling for an immediate end to the US-Canada tariff dispute. Seated in a neighborhood bar with a bottle of Labatt Blue — a Canadian beer brand popular in Michigan — he underscored the state's close ties to Canada. "Here in Michigan, we know that Canada is not our enemy," Rogers said. "We need to end this tariff war now." Reuters reports Rogers is locked in one of the nation's most competitive Senate races against Democrat Abdul El-Sayed. Rogers has largely backed Trump's tariffs, making this his second major break with the president ahead of next month's election. He argued he could leverage his ties to Trump to resolve the dispute: "As Michigan Senator, I'll bring both parties together to lower your prices. That's job number one." The current dispute dates to July, when Trump unveiled new tariffs on Canadian imports that took effect in August, prompting retaliatory measures from Canada. Michigan automakers depend on integrated cross-border supply chains, and industry leaders have warned a prolonged trade war could threaten jobs. Just last month, Rogers praised Trump's tariffs as "necessary" under the America First agenda, making this reversal especially notable.